Trad Wife

Trad Wife

by Saratoga Schaefer

Blurb:

Every #tradwife needs a baby. She’ll get one at any cost.

When Camille Deming isn’t cooking, cleaning, or homesteading in her picture-perfect country farmhouse, she’s posting about her tradwife lifestyle for her online followers. She takes inspiration from other tradwives on social media, aspiring to be like them, but Camille’s missing a key component: a baby. And contrary to what she posts online, things with her husband Graham have been strained. Pressured by her eager followers, Camille fears that without a baby, her relationship will suffer and her social media will never grow out of its infancy.

When Camille discovers a mysterious, decrepit well in the wheatfield behind her house, she makes a wish for a baby. Afterwards, she has unsettling experiences that she convinces herself are angelic in nature, and when she’s visited one night by a strange creature, her wish comes true. 

Camille’s pregnancy announcement gets more engagement than anything she’s ever posted—so what if Graham’s reaction is lukewarm? Camille’s life is finally falling into place. Never mind that her pregnancy is developing freakishly rapidly and she’s suddenly craving raw meat. Being a traditional wife is worth it.

Rosemary’s Baby for the digital age, this disturbing horror novel is one you’ll want to devour in just one bite.

My Reaction:

I saw this recommended on YouTube, heard the comparison to Rosemary's Baby, and didn't really bother looking into it any further before starting. 

I have no desire to go through all the reasons this didn't hold a candle to Rosemary's Baby, but you can browse other negative reviews on Goodreads to get the gist, if you care. To put it briefly, it can't seem to decide what kind of book it wants to be—the body horror is just gross and often unnecessary (though I accept that some people enjoy body horror, so... whatever... but this is my review, and I don't like it at this level)—it's far too repetitive and dragged-out, which makes it boring at many times (and I don't think it was intentionally so)—the "message" is muddled and contradictory—the husband character is lacking any hint of subtlety, a caricaturized selfish "tradhusband"—the main-character wife supposedly has a bright, scientific mind, yet she somehow didn't know about male infertility and is stunningly slow on the up-take at times—and to top it all off, the course of the plot is completely predictable, once it gets rolling.  (Well, I guess I went into my reasons for disliking this, after all...)

If I had only seen the "acknowledgements" section before starting the book—or, heck, even the "they/them" pronouns for the author in the Goodreads bio (and the back of the book)—I may have understood that this wouldn't be a book for me.  To be fair, finding the term "pregnant people" (as opposed to, you know, "women", who are the only type of people who can get pregnant) was a pretty strong clue, earlier in the book. 

Here, let me just share the opening of the "Acknowledgements":  "The rise of tradwives is a symptom of society's larger, more persistent issues. Capitalism, racism, sexism, etc., have created a culture that can twist things as simple as aesthetics and farm living into something far more insidious.  Zen Buddhists say the only way out is through. I believe the only way out is to devour. Let's consume, transform, and in that way, resist."  

...Okay, then.  

I don't really know enough about it to have much of an opinion on the whole "tradwife" thing. If some women want to live a more traditional life, I don't see an issue with that, though for the ones obsessed with posting it all online, it does feel... performative, to put it mildly.  I doubt many women honestly consider themselves part of the movement (is it a movement?), and if anything, I suspect it's fading in popularity. Just another passing trend.  Some women will stick with the more traditional lifestyle, as some women always have. The ones who were in it for the clicks will drift back to something more mainstream (or chase whatever new fad catches their eye). The author obviously despises the tradwife lifestyle.  Alright, fair enough—but I'm not really clear on how she's linking it to capitalism and racism... Whatever.  I don't even care!

Bottom line: I just didn't enjoy it.

My Husband's Wife

My Husband's Wife

by Alice Feeney

Blurb:

Eden Fox, an artist on the brink of her big break, sets off for a run before her first exhibition. When she returns to the home she recently moved into, Spyglass, an enchanting old house in Hope Falls, nothing is as it should be. Her key doesn’t fit. A woman, eerily similar to her, answers the door. And her husband insists that the stranger is his wife.

One house. One husband. Two women. Someone is lying.

Six months earlier, a reclusive Londoner called Birdy, reeling from a life-changing diagnosis, inherits Spyglass. This unexpected gift from a long-lost grandmother brings her to the pretty seaside village of Hope Falls. But then Birdy stumbles upon a shadowy London clinic that claims to be able to predict a person's date of death, including her own. Secrets start to unravel, and as the line between truth and lies blurs, Birdy feels compelled to right some old wrongs.

My Reaction:

I went into this one knowing nothing, really. I hadn't read the blurb. Just saw it recommended somewhere (I think...), recognized the author, and thought it could be entertaining.  If I'd known the major themes of the novel, I might have skipped it.  I prefer to avoid stories with medical or health-related storylines, because I just don't want to think about that stuff when I'm relaxing, if I can help it.  Real life has enough health worry and medical crap in it, as far as I'm concerned. I don't want to read about it for fun!  To be fair, the author left things very vague, which I did appreciate, but still... Not my favorite topic. 

Aside from that, this had too many things that didn't make sense.  I was listening to the audiobook version, which (for me, at least) tends to make it easier to just painlessly breeze over a good bit of nonsense, but even so, there were many head-scratching moments.  (Check out some other reviews if you're interested.) Basically, the author is favoring shocking twists and confusing misdirects over logic and believability. A certain amount of that is what makes thrillers fun to read, but at some point it tips over into ridiculousness.  This time, I was left with a sense of dissatisfaction. 

Dear Debbie

Dear Debbie

by Freida McFadden

Blurb:

Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction.

Or at least, she did.

These days, Debbie’s life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie’s done being the bigger person. She’s done being reasonable and practical. It’s time to take her own advice.

And now it’s time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most.

My Reaction:

This was my first time reading anything by this author, after seeing it recommended as a page-turner.  I ended up listening to the audiobook version, but it certainly was easy enough to listen to at a steady clip.  Did I like it, though?  Eh... It's okay—if you don't mind a revenge fantasy that hinges on some pretty incredible coincidences (and lots of them).  

Most of the characters aren't very likeable, either, which so many people always feel a need to say isn't really a problem for them.  I don't know if it's a problem for me, honestly.  I guess there may be books/movies/etc. I enjoy despite an unlikeable cast, but on the whole, no, I don't want to actively dislike most of the characters I spend a significant amount of time around.  I don't want them to be perfect, unrealistic little angels, either (so boring), but I'd rather not hate them.  

Anyway... It was something to listen to.  I'd consider another quick listen from this author, but probably wouldn't actively seek her out or commit to reading the text version, if they're all like this. 

Empress Theresa

Empress Theresa

by Norman Boutin

Author's Blurb (...?):

Theresa is honest, courageous, brilliant, loved by everybody ( even China wants her to take herself out of danger ), happily married, powerful but harmless, thoughtful of others' welfare not just her own, a believer in God, and an inspiration to the young and old. She attacks "impossible" problems with everything she's got and she never gives up. ____ "Those who challenge Theresa Hartley's power are fools" says the Israeli Prime Minister. "She could destroy the world."____ "Don't mess around with Empress Theresa!" says her husband Steve. __ Empress Theresa is what some people would consider impossible, a book about a good girl, with no sex, foul language, or violence, but still giving the reader an action-filled fascinating story. 

My Reaction:

(This is another 372 Pages We'll Never Get Back read, shared with Donald.)

Oh my gosh, I cannot stand Theresa.  She's just—argh!!  The author wants you to think she's some amazing paragon who's brilliant, brave, and wise beyond her years (and hotttt, too, of course).  But as the Empress herself might phrase it, "yeah, well", the truth is that she's an obnoxious, conceited brat of a teenager who just happened to luck into god-like powers.  (Well, sort of.  They're very strange and ill-defined powers, which she wields with all the wisdom, skill, and humility you'd expect from a bratty teenager.) At her worst, she's one of the most hateable characters I've ever come across who isn't an actual serial killer or abusive piece of crap.  Given the way Theresa is described, it's uncomfortable and creepy to remember that this was written by a man in his mid-60s. Is she his fantasy crush or his self-insert character—or both? Ick.

Then there's the science angle. None of it makes any sense, and I'm not just talking about the science fiction stuff.  It's utter insanity, yet presented in such a way that we're obviously meant to be impressed! 

There's unintentional humor, but also intense boredom and confusion and annoyance.  The podcast is the only reason to read this, as far as I'm concerned. 

Run on Red

Run on Red

by Noelle Ihli

Blurb:

A rural country road. No cell signal for miles. A terrifying game of cat-and-mouse.

By the time Laura and Olivia notice the headlights tailing them through the hills, it’s too late. What seems, at first, like a case of road rage quickly unfolds into a heart-pounding chase—and a battle for survival.

Who are the men in the truck? What do they want? And can Laura and Olivia outrun—and outsmart—them long enough to call for help, even if it means taking their chances in the hills on foot?

My Reaction:

I saw this recommended by a "booktuber" as part of a list of fast-paced novels guaranteed (well, maybe not quite that) to get you out of a reading slump.  Now, admittedly I'm not a big reader as an adult.  I enjoy reading in bite-sized chunks, but rarely do I ever just sit and read and read and read. I was more that kind of a reader as a teenager, but as an adult, I have too many other interests I'd rather pursue, most of the time.  So I can't honestly say I am (or was) in a reading slump.  I just apparently don't care for reading books as much as I once did—but I do like a fast-paced novel sometimes.  I'm probably not going to gulp it down in one reading (that's never been my reading style, anyway), but if it's a real page-turner, I'm more likely to finish it within a month or so instead of getting side-tracked for weeks at a time.  

Anyway, this was promised as a page-turner, and to start with, I thought it really was one.  I enjoyed the first however-much a lot, but at some point it lost momentum and became repetitive.  Characters did some stupid (unbelievably stupid) things, and then the end felt rushed.  Eh, it was okay.  I wasn't surprised by any of the twists (if they were meant to be twists), but I wasn't expecting twistiness from this book—just action and adrenaline.

Some of the reviews I've skimmed have been full of annoyance with the inaccuracies of the cell phone technology as described. The book is set back in the dim and distant day of the flip phone, and apparently the author got confused and had these flip phones do things that flip phones didn't do.  I barely used my phone back in those days. I had a very simple model for emergencies only, so what do I know about such things?! It flew right over my head, but evidently this was a big deal for some readers.  I was more frustrated by some stupid (and in my opinion out of character) choices characters made... and the repetitiveness of some of the inner monologue.  

Still, I didn't hate the book, and if her other novels are better, I wouldn't mind trying one of those.  (If I remember, which is doubtful.)  This is probably a 2.5 for me, rounded up to 3.